Bill Maher is taking a step back from his stand-up comedy career amid massive political division in the U.S. between Democrats and Republicans, declaring ‘I could get shot by the left or the right.’
Maher, 69, opened up about his rationale behind the decision to ditch touring and performing around the country, to fellow comedian Patton Oswalt Monday, on his Club Random podcast.
He said he felt the political atmosphere simply got too hostile at the end of last year, in the wake of President Donald Trump’s trouncing of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the presidential election.
‘I don’t want to be out there in this country, in this political atmosphere,’ said the host of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher.
Maher, a celeb alum of Cornell University, said he felt ‘it’s a good time not to be out there’ as a performer who does politically-charged material.
The comments come about two months after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at an event on a Utah university campus, exposing the schism between the left and right with the respective reactions to the incident.
Bill Maher says he’s taking a step back from his stand-up comedy career amid massive political division in the U.S. between Democrats and Republicans
Maher pictured onstage at NYC’s Madison Square Garden on November 5, 2016 – three days before President Trump’s upset of Democrat Hillary Clinton in the election
Maher slammed Emmys organizers on a September 20 broadcast for ignoring Kirk’s murder while shining the light on other political issues.
‘Would it have killed someone to get up there, since they all want to talk about their politics… just to say we had a political assassination this week and that’s wrong,’ Maher said.
He added: ‘They would have been booed off the stage because he was on the wrong team – so you’re not even allowed to say that.’
Maher, who celebrates his 70th birthday early next year, said on Monday that he also was ‘tired of the travel’ requisite for a profitable stand-up comedy career.
Maher, who formerly hosted Politically Incorrect on Comedy Central and ABC, said he felt the scale of his career has yet to reach its full potential in terms of live performances.
‘I just got tired of being twice as funny as people who were selling twice as many tickets as me,’ Maher told Oswalt. ‘Not that I didn’t sell a lot of tickets and do great theaters – but I didn’t sell arenas.’
The New York native continued expressing his thoughts in regard to the evolving comedy landscape.
‘Some people did [sell out arenas] who, frankly, are not that great,’ he said. ‘But, you know, when the audience is 35 to 45, they don’t wanna see somebody 70.’
Maher, 69, opened up about his rationale behind the decision to ditch touring and performing around the country, to fellow comedian Patton Oswalt Monday, on his Club Random podcast
The comic said, ‘I don’t want to be out there in this country, in this political atmosphere’
Maher spoke about his meeting with Trump to the late Charlie Kirk on the podcast in April
Maher said he was proud of his stand-up specials, and feels they improved over time.
‘I just did my 13th HBO special,’ Maher said. ‘I feel like that’s a good body of work. I felt they all, they basically got better as it went along – I feel like the last one was the best one, which is a good way to get off.’
Maher earlier this year had dinner with President Trump at the White House, later telling his audience he ‘didn’t go MAGA,’ and pushing back on those critical of him breaking bread with the sitting Commander in Chief.
‘Lemme first say to all of the people who treated this like it was some kind of summit meeting, you’re ridiculous – like I was gonna sign a treaty or something!’ Maher said. ‘I have no power, I’m a f***ing comedian, and he’s the most powerful leader in the world.’
Maher chat about the meeting in April as he welcomed Kirk on his podcast, as he told Kirk he felt Trump came off as a ‘real person,’ approachable and earnest in their exchange.
‘I know it’s so weird to say that about Donald Trump, who I’ve said a jillion times is, you know, a whiny little b****,’ Maher told the late Turning Point USA founder.
Maher continued: ‘But this was about getting past that and maybe seeing that if we met in person, we don’t hate each other as much – and we don’t – and I’m sorry, I’m not going to pretend that’s a bad thing.’
Maher told Kirk, ‘I voted for Obama, I voted for Clinton – but the idea that I could talk to them as freely as I felt this conversation was going is emblematic, to me, of why the Democrats lose the elections.’
Real Time with Bill Maher airs Fridays at 10/9c on HBO.
